Selective punch device



Aug. 5, 1969 E. EISSFELDT ET AL 3,459, 0

I I SELECTIVE PUNCH DEVICE Filed Aug. 5. 1.966 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Ways . Aug. 5, 1969' E. EISSFELDT ET Al. 3,459,370

SELECTIVE PUNCH DEVICE I 2 SheetS SheeC 2 Filed Aug; 5. 1966 United States Patent 3,459,370 SELECTIVE PUNCH DEVICE Erich Eissfeldt, Munich, and Rainer Kolferlein, Munich- Solln, Germany, assignors to Siemens Aktiengesellschaft, a corporation of Germany Filed Aug. 5, 1966, Ser. No. 570,651 Claims priority, application Germany, Aug. 5, 1965, S 98,676 Int. Cl. G06k 1/02 US. Cl. 234-114 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE High speed columnwise punching of recording carriers is made possible by a punching installation wherein the punching force of a reciprocating crossbar is carried by rotatably mounted selectively engageable transfer members to individual punching dies. The transfer members comprise an angle lever having a first generally horizontal leg and a second generally vertical leg intersecting each other in a gamma-shaped configuration and rotatably mounted in the area of the intersection. A selector means includes a leaf spring having one end engaging the free end of the first leg, a magnetic armature on said leaf spring within the magnetic field of an electromagnet whereby if the electromagnet is energized the leaf spring acts to rotate the corresponding transfer member out of engagement with the punching die, as said crossbar reciprocates into punching position. If said electromagnet is not energized, said leaf spring moves with said angle lever .as the crossbar moves into punching position and tends to prevent said angle lever from rotating so that said transfer member transmits said punching force to said punching die. Return of the punching dies to their initial position is accomplished by a resilient comb means extending into cooperating recesses in the punching die. The punching dies may be arranged in mirror image relationship and operated off a common crossbar member.

Background of the invention This invention relates to a printing or punching device, and in particular to means for controlling the operation of the printing or punching stamps thereof.

The invention proceeds from a printing or punching device in which printing or punching stamps are selectively movable in a vertical direction with respect to the direction of movement of .a recording carrier relative thereto. Although the apparatus according to the invention is, per se, equally suitable for printing and stamping devices, in the following, for the purposes of simplicity of explanation, there will be considered primarily a punching device, in particular a device for punching cards, and the like.

The most common punch cards utilize 960 hole positions which are arranged in 12 rows and 80 columns. As a rule there is allocated to each column an alphanumerical symbol. If, therefore, a processing operation takes place, i.e., a reading or punching operation by columns, as a rule, storage means can then be omitted or simplified. However, the punching operation, because of the inert masses to be moved, cannot be accelerated at will or as may be desired, so that heretofore if a high operational speed was required, linewise punching was given the preference. In this case, however, as aforementioned, storage means are necessary, because it is not possible to punch, symbol for symbol in close succession.

Summary of the invention The invention proceeds, therefore, from the problem of finding a way in which each individual punching step can be so accelerated that a columnwise punching at high operating speeds becomes feasible.

In the conventional punching devices of high output, the punch stamps are, as a rule, not operated directly by their selecting means, but with the aid of transmission members coupled with a mechanical movement, especially .a periodically occurring movement. Such mechanical movement is, in many cases, derived from a bar or other member constantly reciprocated by an ec centric, cam drive or the like, which bar, over the transfer members referred to, carries along the stamps as selected, according to the operation of the selecting means.

In this connection transfer members have become known which are either fixedly connected with the stamps, in order to be brought into engagement with the bar, or are carried by the bar itself, in order to selectively effect engagement with the stamps. These transfer members are constructed, for example, with an angular formation and centrally supported for pivotal movement, so that through a rotary movement within a limited angle they can be brought into or out of engageable position. The engagement is there produced through one of their legs, while the other leg is coupled to the selecting means, the latter usually comprising electromagnets.

Such systems do make it possible, to be sure, to effect the selection, through excitation or nonexcitation of the electromagnets, prior to completion of the preceding working stroke, but even the time thereby made available between two working strokes is not, in all cases, suflicient to build up, with certainty, a suitable magnetic field. Because of the limited spatial relations, brought about by the large number of operational systems arranged close together, limitations are imposed on the dimensioning of the magnets. On the other hand, the use of heavy currents directly within the tightly packed operational systems can readily result in intolerable heating.

The invention is directed to overcoming these disadvantages. The printing or punching device for recording carriers according to the invention likewise utilizes transfer members which may be selectively interposed between a vertically reciprocable bar and individual printing or punching stamps by actuation of the selecting means, but it is characterized by the feature that the selecting means comprise a retaining device, with the selected transfer member being conducted, prior to each working stroke of the bar, into the engaging position in which the corresponding retaining device can be selectively actuated. the transfer members being so designed and supported that, upon completion thereby of a snapping movement into retaining position, in consequence of relative movement, during the first phase of the working stroke of the bar, occurring between the bar and the parts of the non-selected transfer members cooperable therewith, the nonselected transfer members are moved out of actuating position, so that the associated stamps are not actuated thereby.

Selecting means, designed in accordance with the invention as retaining means, preferably each comprise an electromagnet which coacts with a movable armature coupled to the corresponding transfer member. However, in contrast to traditional arrangements of this type, in the invention the arrangement is so designed that the armature, upon energization of the electromagnet, does not have to be moved by attraction of the magnet and thereby shift the transfer member coupled therewith, but that the armature through engagement with the transfer member, upon return of the bar into the starting position is, in each case, conducted into the attracted position with respect to the magnet, which, on energization merely retains it in position. In this manner, an energization current which, for example, lies a power of ten below that of conventional system is adequate. In a similar manner, however, there is also reduced the time necessary for the build-up of the magnetic field, so that the individual operating processes can succeed one another more rapidly.

Brief description of the drawings In the following, the invention is explained in detail with the aid of an example of construction illustrated in the drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates, in transverse section, the main operating parts of a punching device according to the invention, in which the actuating bar is in the starting position;

FIG. 2 illustrates the structure of FIG. 1, with the actuating bar in actuated position;

FIG. 3 represents the apparatus illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, as viewed at an angle of 90 with respect thereto; and

FIG. 4 shows a sectional enlargement of a portion of FIGS. 1 or 2.

Description of the preferred embodiments The apparatus illustrated primarily comprises a table with inset cutting plate 1, a guide block 2 arranged thereabove, in which punch stamps 3 are supported for sliding movement in punching direction, a vertically reciprocable bar 4 in which there are pivotally supported along respective axes two mirror symmetrical groups of angle-shaped transfer member 5. Also included are a corresponding number of retaining devices in the form of electromagnets 8, cooperable with respective leaf springs 6 which normally extend at an acute angle with respect to the pole surface of the cooperable magnets 8, with the springs respectively carrying armatures 7 and with their free ends each engaging the arm of a corresponding transfer member disposed opposite the corresponding poles of magnets 8.

Mounted on the bar 4 is a comb-shaped plate 10, the teeth of which engage respective punching stamps 3 in the recesses '9 thereof provided therefor, by means of which actuated punching stamps are returned to their starting positions. A similar plate 11, which likewise extends into the recesses 9 of the punching stamps 3, is mounted on the guide block 2, thereby assuring that the punching stamps 3 are capable of moving only between limit positions as defined by the vertical extent of the recesses 9 (FIG. 3).

The bar 4 is guided in plates 13 and extends over an entire row of adjacently arranged punching stamps 3, the transfer members 5 of which are therein accommodated. The bar 4 is operatively connected, over a coupling member 14, with a crank, eccentric or cam drive, through which a reciprocating movement is imparted thereto. This drive arrangement, per se, is generally well known and therefore omitted from the drawing in the interest of clarity. Likewise, in the figures there is omitted a frame to which, among other parts, there are fastened the table with the cutting plate 1, the guide block 2, the magnet systems 6, 7, 8 as well as the plates 13, etc.

As is apparent from FIG. 1, in which the bar 4 is illustrated in its starting position, the transfer members 5 are guided by the leaf springs which are tensioned into their operating position for effecting engagement with and actuation of the associated stamps 3. As is further evident from this figure, the armatures 7 are raised sufficiently to bear upon the cooperable poles of the electromagnets 8, so that energization of the electromagnets 8 at this stage need be merely sufficient to securely retain the armature and associated elements in position in opposition to the force of the springs 6.

If, in the stage of operation under consideration, however, no energization of a magnet 8 takes place, during the following working stroke of the bar 4, the associated spring 6 will relax, as may be noted in the left hand system of FIG. 2. The spring 6 further provides that the associated transfer member 5 remains in actuating position and thereby carries along the corresponding punch stamp 3. i

If, however, the armature 7, with the leaf spring 6 is retained in the position illustrated in FIG. 2 by the magnet 8, in consequence of the relative movement taking place between the end of the leaf spring and the bar 4, there will be effected a swinging of the associated transfer member 5 our of its actuating position. The associated punching stamp, 3 therefore, is in this case not carried along with the bar 4.

During the return of the bar 4 into its starting position, each punch stamp 3 is returned into its starting position by the plate 10.

The angle-shaped transfer members 5 are pivotally supported in the example illustrated at their central position on cylindrical rods 15 carried by the bar 4 (FIG. 4). The bearing is, however, provided with a sufficient amount of play that the transfer member 5 receives the force to be transmitted from the edge 16 provided therefor to the upper edge of the transfer member and not over the bearing rod 15. With the provision of a recess for receiving the transfer member 5, which allows the transfer member 5, of suitable construction in the bar 4 space just barely sufficient for the play necessary for satisfactory movement, the bearing 15 can under some circumstances be dispensed with.

Changes may be made within the scope and spirit of the appended claims which define what is believed to be new and desired to have protected by Letters Patent.

We claim:

1. A punching installation for recording carriers comprising:

a crossbar reciprocating between an up position and a down postion to provide a punching force, individual punching dies spaced a distance from said crossbar,

transfer members for selectively conveying said punching force to said punching dies, said transfer member comprising,

an angle lever above each of said individual punching dies and below said crossbar adapted to selectively transmit the punching force of said crossbar to said punching dies, each said angle lever comprising integral first and second leg structures each having an intersecting end and a free end, said first leg structure being generally horizontally disposed, said second leg structure being generally vertically disposed and providing a substantially horizontal surface at its upper end whereby said horizontal surface is selectively engaged by said crossbar and said punching force is transmitted therethrough to said free end of said second leg which engages its corresponding punching die,

said angle lever being rotatably fastened in the area of the intersection of the first and second leg structures to a movable bolt,

selector means comprising,

an electromagnet positioned outwardly of each of said angle lever free ends, leaf springs each having one end engaging each of the free ends of said first leg structure and the other end fixedly mounted outwardly of said free end,

a magnetic armature connected to said leaf spring adjacent said electromagnet so that movement of said armature moves said leaf spring,

said armature and leaf spring hanging freely away from said electromagnet when said electromagnet is not energized and being held in abutment with said electromagnet when said electromagnet is energized,

whereby if said electromagnet is energized said leaf spring remains in abutment with said electromagnet and causes said angle lever to rotate as said crossbar moves into its down position so the free end of said second leg does not engage said punching die, and whereby if said electromagnet is not energized said hanging leaf spring moves with said angle lever as the crossbar moves into its down position and tends to prevent said angle lever from rotating so that said punching force of said crossbar is transmitted to said punching die.

2. The punching installation according to claim 1 wherein the crossbar has a horizantal surface and an inclined surface, said horizontal surface of said crossbar contacting the substantially horizontal surface of said second leg in the area remote from the first leg free end and the area of rotatable mounting to transmit said punching force to said punching dies and said inclined surface contacting said first leg structure to urge said transfer member out of a punch die engaging position.

3. A punching installation according to claim 1 Wherein said punching dies are elongated members having grooves along a portion of their length and return means connected to the crossbar for returning said punching dies to an operative position when said crossbar moves to its up position, said return means having a comb-like configuration with resilient teeth having their free ends ongaging the grooves of the punching dies.

4. A punching installation according to claim 3, wherein two punching dies are arranged adjacent to each other in mirror image with their corresponding transfer members being operable by a common crossbar.

5. A punching installation according to claim 4, wherein a series of the adjacent mirror image punching dies and their corresponding transfer members are operated by a common elongated crossbar.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,018,037 1/1962 Stemme 234119 3,051,377 8/1962 Bradbury 234-l15 3,126,150 3/1964 Lyons et al. 234115 3,187,999 6/1965 Seymour 233--119 3,189,270 6/1965 Seymour et al. 2341l5 3,253,778 5/1966 Hunter et al. 2341 14 3,285,509 11/1966 Galey et al. 234-115 3,307,781 3/1967 Jones 234-115 X WILLIAM S. LAWSON, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 234-415 

